Runway excursion Accident Piper PA-28-235 N8942W,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 21839
 
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Date:Wednesday 23 July 2008
Time:18:10
Type:Silhouette image of generic P28B model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-28-235
Owner/operator:Harp Air Llc
Registration: N8942W
MSN: 28-10511
Year of manufacture:1964
Engine model:Lycoming O-540-B4B5
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Lowell City Airport (24C), Kent County, MI -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Lowell, MI (24C)
Destination airport:Clintonville, WI (CLI)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot had performed 56 flights in the accident airplane from the airport in "similar" atmospheric conditions at airplane weights that equaled or exceeded the accident flight takeoff. The pilot stated that the "numerous" trees surrounding the airport and the departure end of each runway are "extremely dangerous" and provide "few, if any, options" for an uneventful aborted takeoff. During the accident takeoff on runway 30 (2,394 feet by 48 feet, dry asphalt), the airplane performed within the pilot’s expectations, but after rotation, the airplane was not climbing "normally" nor was it accelerating to best angle climb speed at the rate he previously experienced. The pilot then aborted the takeoff while the airplane was within a "few" feet above the runway because he did not want to risk hitting the trees at the departure end of the runway. The pilot was uninjured and the passenger received minor injuries. The airplane overran the runway with the application of "full" braking and impacted the trees. A post crash fire then ensued consuming the airplane. The pilot stated that he can only "speculate" that something changed after takeoff rotation that affected airplane performance. The airplane flight manual states that the takeoff distance over a 50-foot obstacle is about halfway down the runway and the calculated landing ground roll is within the remaining runway distance. The pilot stated that he used 10 degrees of flaps for the takeoff rather than 25 degrees of flaps cited in the airplane flight manual for a short field takeoff. There is no takeoff performance data based upon a 10-degree flap setting cited in the airplane flight manual.
Probable Cause: The inadequate preflight planning/preparation and the short field takeoff procedure not followed by the pilot. An additional cause was the delayed aborted takeoff by the pilot. A contributing factor was the trees.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CHI08CA206
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 month
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
26-Jul-2008 12:03 jorgetadeu7 Added
21-Dec-2016 19:14 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
21-Dec-2016 19:16 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
21-Dec-2016 19:20 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
03-Dec-2017 11:29 ASN Update Bot Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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